What's wrong with using Windows Movie Maker 2?

Maverick-Rubik · Post by **Maverick-Rubik** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:13 pm

Well, there is one I can think of, but the effects were used poorly in my opinion.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:38 pm

Scintilla wrote:Assuming that one knows how to get the best-quality WMV possible out of the WMM2 exporting options. (I like DWP's suggestion of creating custom WMV profiles that use very high bitrates (and end up producing files comparable in size to a DVD-quality MPEG-2, tweakable in the profile settings) to give a near-lossless export. I believe he's made such a profile, and I know I have, but I don't know if I have it uploaded anywhere.)

And then, of course, there's always DV AVI (if it doesn't cause audio synch problems that is, which I gather it often does).

I've gotten some pretty good results using the 'high quality large' option in wmm2.0 and converting straight from that to mpg - but not as good as I'd get sticking with dvavi and xvid. And the audio sync - this seems to be a problem when you have variable speeds in the clips you use. If they're all 30fps and you don't use any speed adjustments (the speed up/down effect) you don't have any problems syncing up the avi with the audio again. If you do have variable frame rates, you can produce a wmv version and an avi version - then check to make sure the frames match up. It's finicky and slow, but it makes for excellent quality if you're wanting a near-perfect huffyuv version to keep on file. I'd say that's for the anal people with too much time on their hands (me). ^.~

Arigatomyna wrote:PhotoImpression (Arcsoft) comes free with Windows XP (along with wmm) and is as good as any Adobe PaintshopPro program without the cost - nice for frame editing/layers again/and more of those 'as original as your imagination' effects.
Really? Where's it installed?
I'm suddenly interested; I've never seen (or heard of) this program before.

(and by the way, PSP is by JASC; Photoshop is Adobe's. )

Well, with my comp it's in the 'Arcsoft Software Suite' folder - with Showbiz in its own folder (on the start menu). It's version 4 and comes fully installed in all of the Winxp comps that came out that year. But I hear it isn't in the newer xp computers - I'd blame Showbiz, since that program has a lot of problems that even the experts on the Arcsoft website can't figure out. o.O The photoshop program is great, though.

Scintilla · Post by **Scintilla** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:48 pm

Arigatomyna wrote:
Arigatomyna wrote:PhotoImpression (Arcsoft) comes free with Windows XP (along with wmm) and is as good as any Adobe PaintshopPro program without the cost - nice for frame editing/layers again/and more of those 'as original as your imagination' effects.
Really? Where's it installed?
I'm suddenly interested; I've never seen (or heard of) this program before.

(and by the way, PSP is by JASC; Photoshop is Adobe's. )
Well, with my comp it's in the 'Arcsoft Software Suite' folder - with Showbiz in its own folder (on the start menu). It's version 4 and comes fully installed in all of the Winxp comps that came out that year. But I hear it isn't in the newer xp computers - I'd blame Showbiz, since that program has a lot of problems that even the experts on the Arcsoft website can't figure out. o.O The photoshop program is great, though.

As far as I can see I don't have Showbiz either... I got my computer in July of 2002, so it's not that late of a model. You sure it wasn't just bundled with the other stuff installed by the people who made the comp? (Mine's an eMachine, and the software bundle wasn't great, but certainly adequate for my needs.)

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:51 pm

Scintilla wrote:As far as I can see I don't have Showbiz either... I got my computer in July of 2002, so it's not that late of a model. You sure it wasn't just bundled with the other stuff installed by the people who made the comp? (Mine's an eMachine, and the software bundle wasn't great, but certainly adequate for my needs.)

I can't say for sure about it being installed by select groups - I don't know anything about that. I got the computer in 2003 and about a month afterward I was writing to the Arcsoft website (about Showbiz...it's a pain) and the people on the forum there who had winxps all got them as recently as I had - and were having the same problems. I just assumed it was a standard pack for computers that came out at that time (around April, 2003). Since then I haven't found many xp users who have the Arcsoft package, but none of them have computers from 2003, so I've no way of knowing which comps got the package.

Yok/0 · Post by **Yok/0** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:59 pm

Guys u know me as a wmm2 user and all but still learning about AP from my friend J.Alana of course, But i believe some people here are giving wmm2 a bad rep. It ain't all bad as u think, Lets think about the vids that have been over used with special effects hiding what the vid is really about, Now I usually do strobe effects and thats just about it, U can get some fair quality with wmm2.0 just wanted to fill in.

Pie Row Maniac · Post by **Pie Row Maniac** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:09 am

This thread is pretty informative, I have to say.

Jolly good, chaps!

bum · Post by **bum** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:38 am

Arigatomyna wrote:
Scintilla wrote:As far as I can see I don't have Showbiz either... I got my computer in July of 2002, so it's not that late of a model. You sure it wasn't just bundled with the other stuff installed by the people who made the comp? (Mine's an eMachine, and the software bundle wasn't great, but certainly adequate for my needs.)
I can't say for sure about it being installed by select groups - I don't know anything about that. I got the computer in 2003 and about a month afterward I was writing to the Arcsoft website (about Showbiz...it's a pain) and the people on the forum there who had winxps all got them as recently as I had - and were having the same problems. I just assumed it was a standard pack for computers that came out at that time (around April, 2003). Since then I haven't found many xp users who have the Arcsoft package, but none of them have computers from 2003, so I've no way of knowing which comps got the package.

Then again, when you can just get GIMP which is just as good as high end programs such as photoshop for most thing. Well, thiers one thing it lacks. Price

Adv1sor · Post by **Adv1sor** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:51 pm

Thanks everyone for all the good information.

Having attended my first anime con this past weekend I really liked the AMVs. I rushed home and found that I already have MM2 on my new PC.

I have been able to create a few short fun AMVs. MM2 is very easy to use. I'm working on an AMV now and I'll post a link as soon as it is a little more polished. Still need to find a few more pics and get the timing just right...

Thanks again!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:53 pm

bum wrote:
Arigatomyna wrote:
Scintilla wrote:As far as I can see I don't have Showbiz either... I got my computer in July of 2002, so it's not that late of a model. You sure it wasn't just bundled with the other stuff installed by the people who made the comp? (Mine's an eMachine, and the software bundle wasn't great, but certainly adequate for my needs.)
I can't say for sure about it being installed by select groups - I don't know anything about that. I got the computer in 2003 and about a month afterward I was writing to the Arcsoft website (about Showbiz...it's a pain) and the people on the forum there who had winxps all got them as recently as I had - and were having the same problems. I just assumed it was a standard pack for computers that came out at that time (around April, 2003). Since then I haven't found many xp users who have the Arcsoft package, but none of them have computers from 2003, so I've no way of knowing which comps got the package.
Then again, when you can just get GIMP which is just as good as high end programs such as photoshop for most thing. Well, thiers one thing it lacks. Price

Hail to the allmighty The GIMP! I`ve had the opportunity to compare The Gimp 2.0.4 with Adobe Photoshop 7 and the only thing AP had that The GIMP hadn`t (except for the afore-mentioned price) was a zoom powerful enough to see somenoe picking their nose on an 800X600 sattelite picture. For frame editing, that`s unnecessary.

And not only is The GIMP free, it`s open-source and it accepts scripts (in your face, Photoshop).

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:59 pm

gepetto wrote:
bum wrote:
Arigatomyna wrote:
Scintilla wrote:As far as I can see I don't have Showbiz either... I got my computer in July of 2002, so it's not that late of a model. You sure it wasn't just bundled with the other stuff installed by the people who made the comp? (Mine's an eMachine, and the software bundle wasn't great, but certainly adequate for my needs.)
I can't say for sure about it being installed by select groups - I don't know anything about that. I got the computer in 2003 and about a month afterward I was writing to the Arcsoft website (about Showbiz...it's a pain) and the people on the forum there who had winxps all got them as recently as I had - and were having the same problems. I just assumed it was a standard pack for computers that came out at that time (around April, 2003). Since then I haven't found many xp users who have the Arcsoft package, but none of them have computers from 2003, so I've no way of knowing which comps got the package.
Then again, when you can just get GIMP which is just as good as high end programs such as photoshop for most thing. Well, thiers one thing it lacks. Price
Hail to the allmighty The GIMP! I`ve had the opportunity to compare The Gimp 2.0.4 with Adobe Photoshop 7 and the only thing AP had that The GIMP hadn`t (except for the afore-mentioned price) was a zoom powerful enough to see someone picking their nose on an 800X600 sattelite picture. For frame editing, that`s unnecessary.

And not only is The GIMP free, it`s open-source and it accepts scripts (in your face, Photoshop).

Sorry. Well, I`m done with pimping the GIMP for today. If anyone wants to try it, be aware that you need the GTK+ Runtime Package installed on your machine to run the GIMP. Here`s the links for Windows and Linux